International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering

ISSN: 1938-6362 (Print) 1939-7879 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/yjge20

Experimental and numerical study of pile

foundations subjected to rotating machine-
induced coupled excitations

Shiva Shankar Choudhary, Sanjit Biswas & Bappaditya Manna

To cite this article: Shiva Shankar Choudhary, Sanjit Biswas & Bappaditya Manna (2019):
Experimental and numerical study of pile foundations subjected to rotating machine-
induced coupled excitations, International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, DOI:
10.1080/19386362.2019.1620536

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2019.1620536

Published online: 25 May 2019.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 37

View Crossmark data

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=yjge20
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2019.1620536

Experimental and numerical study of pile foundations subjected to rotating

machine-induced coupled excitations
Shiva Shankar Choudharya, Sanjit Biswasb and Bappaditya Mannac
a
Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, India; bDepartment of Civil Engineering, National Institute of
Technology Sikkim, Ravangla, India; cDepartment of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Dynamic response characteristics of a hollow steel single-pile and three-pile group are investigated Received 8 March 2019
under coupled vibration. Forced coupled vibration tests are conducted on the piles for static loads of Accepted 13 May 2019
12 kN and 14 kN under different eccentric moments. The time-acceleration responses are measured for KEYWORDS
different frequencies for both horizontal and rocking modes and finally the frequency-amplitude Coupled vibration;
responses are determined for horizontal and rocking components separately. The dynamic frequency- continuum approach; soil-
amplitude responses of piles are analysed by continuum approach method with two different soil-pile pile system; non-linear
models: (i) a linear visco-elastic composed medium with the consideration of reduced shear modulus response; boundary zone
and (ii) a boundary zone model with non-reflective interface of shear modulus with parabolic variation. parameter
The variation of stiffness and damping of the soil-pile system are also determined. The analytical results
are compared with the dynamic test results to verify the applicability of those soil models for predicting
the non-linear response of soil-pile system under coupled vibration. It is observed from the comparison
curves that the results obtained from the first soil model are found reasonably close to the dynamic test
data. However in the case of second soil model, the resonant amplitude values are found much higher
than the test data. Based on the analytical results, the boundary zone parameters like modulus
reduction ratio, thickness ratio, weak zone soil damping and separation lengths of pile under different
eccentric moments are predicted in present field condition. The variations of group efficiency ratio of
the pile group with frequency are also determined form the analysis.

1. Introduction Many theoretical studies have been performed to eval-

uate the dynamic response of soil-pile system and impe-
The dynamic behaviour of group piles subjected to machine
dance functions (stiffness and damping) of pile
induced vibrations has been a subject of interest in recent
considering Winkler foundation models, finite element
years because of the rapid growth of nuclear, thermal, hydro-
methods, continuum approach, mass-spring-dashpot
power power plants, petrochemical industry, oil refineries
model, etc. To provide a simplified analysis method,
worldwide where most of the vibratory machineries are
Novak and his co-workers (Novak 1974; Nogami and
installed on pile foundations. When the pile foundations are
Novak 1976; Novak and El Sharnouby 1983) introduced
designed under dynamic loading, the designers need to take
the plane strain theory to the continuum approach ana-
into account the soil non-linearity and group interaction
lysis for the calculation of the impedance functions of
effect between pile and soil. The pile-soil-pile interaction
piles. Novak and Aboul-Ella (1978a, 1978b) extended this
behaviour plays a very important role to design of pile groups
continuum approach solutions by introducing the layered
for machine-induced vibrations. The response of pile groups
soil for embedded piles. The concept of dynamic interac-
are also varied with the arrangement of piles in pile groups.
tion factor was first developed by Kaynia and Kausel
The soil non-linearity is also one of the governing factors to
(1982) to quantify the dynamic interaction behaviour of
determine the responses of the pile foundations. Although,
pile-soil-pile system. Novak and Mitwally (1990) devel-
the effect of non-linearity in frequency-amplitude response of
oped a superposition method by using this concept to
pile group is more significant in case of coupled vibration
determine the response of pile groups for different modes
than the vertical vibrations. Therefore, influence of the
of vibration. Saitoh et al. (2016) proposed a closed-from
dynamic pile-soil-pile interaction effect and soil non-
solution based on superposition method to estimate the
linearity on the dynamic response of the pile group need to
impedance function of inclined pile group for different
be studied for coupled vibration. Different methods are avail-
modes of vibration using pile to pile interaction factors.
able to quantify the effect of soil non-linearity and pile-soil-
Experimental study is always essential to study the
pile interaction on the dynamic response of pile foundations.
efficiency of any proposed analytical methods. Among
However, it is important to choose a suitable method for the
different type of forced vibration pile testing, small scale
accurate estimation of the dynamic responses of pile groups
pile tests are very popular because it is inexpensive,
considering soil non-linearly and group interaction effect.

CONTACT Shiva Shankar Choudhary shv.snkr@gmail.com Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Patna, Patna 800005, India
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
2 S. S. CHOUDHARY ET AL.
relatively easy to perform and less time consuming.
A very few dynamic tests have been conducted on single
and group piles under coupled (horizontal and rocking)
vibrations to study the complex non-linear behaviour of
soil-pile system. Novak and Grigg (1976) performed the
field test on small-scale piles and pile groups for different
vibration modes. El Sharnouby and Novak (1984) con-
ducted numbers of experimental tests with a group of 102
closed spaced piles under vertical, horizontal and tor-
sional modes separately. Manna and Baidya (2010) and
Elkasabgy and EI Naggar (2013) carried out dynamic field
tests and continuum approach analysis on piles to inves-
tigate the dynamic characteristic of soil-pile system under
dynamic loading. The effects of soil non-linearity and
pile-soil separation were accounted in the analysis by
employing a weak boundary zone around the piles in
the analytical model. The impedance parameters (stiffness
and damping) of piles with frequency were also investi-
gated under vertical excitation. Biswas and Manna (2018)
conducted a dynamic field tests on small-scale single-pile
and 2 × 2-pile group to obtain the frequency-amplitude
response soil-pile system. The variations of stiffness and
damping of piles with frequency are also presented for
both horizontal and rocking excitation using the conti-
nuum approach analysis. The pile-soil-pile interaction
phenomenon of pile group is also investigated by calcu-
lating the group efficiency ratios (GER) of the pile group
for different eccentric moments and vibration modes.
The study of literature reveals that through study to
check the applicability of continuum approach analysis
for determining the dynamic non-linear responses of
piles in terms of field test results was rarely presented.
The input soil parameters responsible for the non-linear
response of piles are the key factors for better under-
standing of the dynamic response of pile groups which
has not been thoroughly investigated in the past. Field
experimental study on three-pile group under coupled
vibration is very rare in the literature.
Hence in this study, the effect of soil non-linearity and
pile-soil-pile interaction on the dynamic response of pile
group are monitored under rotating machine-induced
coupled vibration. In addition with that the efficiency of
the continuum approach analysis with two different soil
models to predict the non-linear dynamic response of pile
foundations is also verified. To fulfil these objectives,
both experimental and analytical study are performed
on a single-pile and a three-pile group made of hollow
steel pipes. The coupled vibration test results are
Table 1. Soil properties of a test site.
Water Content Dry Density
Depth (m) (%) (kN/m3)
0.75 8.48 18.20
1.5 10.29 16.12
2.5 8.84 11.67
3.5 7.52 14.77
4.5 10.73 18.41
5.5 12.68 15.21
6.5 15.00 18.52
compared with the analytical results obtained using con-
tinuum approach with two different non-linear soil mod-
els to check the efficiency of those soil models. The
possible variations of the input soil parameters responsi-
ble for the non-linear response of the pile foundation are
also presented. The variations of stiffness and damping of
soil-pile system with frequency are also studied for both
soil models. The group efficiency ratio of three-pile group
is also deduced to investigate dynamic pile-soil-pile inter-
action behaviour.
2. Determination of soil properties and soil profile
The test site is located in between Block II and III at Indian
Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India. A small-
scale single-pile and three-pile group are installed in the
natural soil deposit to conduct the coupled vibration tests in
the field. Both the field and laboratory tests are conducted in
the field to characterize the site soil properties.
The standard penetration test (SPT) is performed at the
test site for different depths up to a depth of 6.5 m.
Laboratory tests are performed on soil samples collected
from the borehole during SPT. The laboratory experiments
such as natural moisture content determination, particle size
distribution analysis and Atterberg’s limits test are carried
out. Based on all the field and laboratory test results, the in-
situ soil is classified according to USCS (Casagrande 1948).
The soil profile is divided into two layers. The upper layer is
identified as inorganic clayey silt with low plasticity (CL-ML)
up to the depth of 3.5 m and the bottom layer is classified as
inorganic silt with low plasticity (ML) up to the final explored
depth. The shear modulus (G) of the soil layers have been
evaluated from the following correlation given by Bowles
(1996) for the fine grain soil.
400 Su
G¼ (1)
2ð1 þ μÞ
where, Su is undrained shear strength of soil which has been
determined according to the SPT-N value. As the underlined
soil of the test site is found cohesive in nature (Table 1), the
undrained shear strength of soil is used to evaluate the values
of shear modulus of soil. The Poisson’s ratio (µ) was consid-
ered as 0.3 up to the depth of 6.5 m. The variation of soil
layers, SPT-Ncorr value and shear modulus with depth is
presented in Figure 1. The measured soil properties of the
testing site with depth are also listed in Table 1.
LL PL Grain Size Distribution Corrected
(%) (%) (%) SPT-N
– – – 18
25.7 20.1 Sand = 39, Silt = 43, Clay = 18 12
– – – 15
– – – 26
32.0 23.2 Gravel = 3, Sand = 36, Silt = 42, Clay = 19 49
– – – 43
35
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 3

Figure 1. Variation of soil layer, SPT-Ncorr value and shear modulus with depth.

3. Installation of piles
The hollow steel pipes of outer diameter (d) of 0.114 m,
thickness 0.003 m, and length (L) of 3 m is used as piles.
Circular steel plates are welded at one end of hollow steel
pipes to get the pile tip reactions. First, the boreholes are
made with the help of auger of diameter 0.1 m to reduce the
driving resistance. On the other hand, undersized boreholes
ensure good conduct between pile and soil. The piles are then
driven into the ground by repeated blows of SPT hammer
from a free fall from height of 0.75 m. A steel plate of
dimension 0.9 m × 0.9 m × 0.037 m is used as a pile cap
which is rigidly connected with the piles. For three-pile
group, a spacing of 3d is maintained during pile driving.
The stepwise installation processes of three-pile group are
shown in Figure 2.

4. Dynamic testing on single-pile and three-pile

group
Coupled vibration is generated on the single-pile and three-
pile group setup by a Lazan type mechanical oscillator in
form of harmonic motion to perform the field tests. Two
counter rotating eccentric masses are moved inside the oscil-
lator to develop the dynamic forces. The magnitudes of
dynamic forces are varied by changing the eccentric degree
(θ) of rotating masses. When angle θ is set to a value, the
rotating eccentric mass can generate an eccentric moment
(me). The eccentric moment of the mechanical oscillator
can be represented as:
W 2:59 sinðθ=2Þ
me ¼ :e ¼ N sec2
g g
The excitation force (P) corresponding to eccentric degree (θ)
at any frequency can be defined as:
Figure 2. Stepwise installation process of three-pile group: (a) making of bore-
holes, (b) driving of piles, (c) three-pile after installation, and (d) fixing of pile
cap with three-pile group.
2:59 sinðθ=2Þ 2
P ¼ m:e:ω2 ¼ :ω N (3)
g
where, m and W are the mass and weight of eccentric rotating
element respectively. e is the eccentric distance of the rotating
masses, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and ω is the
(2) circular frequency.
Forced vibration tests are carried out on small-scale piles
under coupled modes, that is, horizontal and rocking for
different eccentric moments. First, mild steel plates of dimen-
sion 0.5 m × 0.5 m × 0.022 m are placed on the oscillator to
4 S. S. CHOUDHARY ET AL.
provide desired static weights (12 kN, 14 kN) on the pile
foundations. Then, the mechanical oscillator is mounted on
the pile cap. The steel plates and the oscillator are tightly
connected with the pile cap to avoid any relative movements
between them. The mechanical oscillator is connected with
a DC motor by a flexible shaft. Motor speed is slowly
increased by speed control unit to generate the dynamic
force by the oscillator up to a frequency of 50 Hz. The
horizontal dynamic force is applied through the oscillator
and the point of application of the horizontal forces are
found at the height of 0.354 m and 0.402 m from the C.
G. of the loading system for 12 kN and 14 kN static load
respectively. The horizontal dynamic force produces both
horizontal and rocking motion at centre of gravity (C.G.) of
the pile cap-loading system. Two accelerometers are used for
the vibration measurement of the pile foundations. One accel-
erometer is attached to the side of foundation setup at the
level of C.G of the static load assembly to measure the
horizontal component of vibration. Another accelerometer
is attached vertically on the top of the loading system at
a known distance from the centre line of pile group to
measure rocking amplitudes. The responses are recorded
Figure 3. Schematic diagram of pile setups: (a) single-pile and (b) three-pile groups.
Figure 4. Complete coupled vibration testing setup of pile.
with the help of the data accusation system and stored in
a laptop. The schematic diagram of single-pile and three-pile
group setup are shown in Figure 3(a,b) respectively. The
complete coupled vibration testing setup of the pile founda-
tions is shown in Figure 4.
The responses of single and group piles system are
measured for four varying eccentric moments (W.
e = 0.868, 1.269, 1.631, and 1.944 Nm) for horizontal
and rocking vibration modes separately under the static
loads (Ws) of 12 kN and 14 kN. The time-acceleration
responses for horizontal and rocking modes are measured
separately during the vibration test. Typical time versus
acceleration response of single pile for the eccentric
moment of 0.868 Nm with three different frequencies
(i.e. 20 Hz, 30 Hz, and 40 Hz) are shown in Figure 5(a,
b) for horizontal and rocking modes respectively. From
these time-acceleration response curves, the steady-state
frequency-amplitude response curves are plotted for both
horizontal and rocking vibration separately. Typical fre-
quency-amplitude response curves of single pile are
shown in Figure 6(a,b) for horizontal and rocking
modes respectively under 12 kN static load.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 5

Figure 5. Time-acceleration response of single pile at different frequency: (a) horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.

Figure 6. Experimental frequency versus amplitude response of single pile under coupled vibration: (a) horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.

It is found from the test results that two distinct
resonant peaks are obtained at two different frequencies
for both horizontal and rocking response curves. The first
resonant frequency is well separated from the second one.
The first resonant peak of the coupled response is found
to be dominated for horizontal component and
the second peak is dominated for rocking component. It
can be seen from the coupled vibration field test results
that the measured frequency-amplitude response curves
exhibit non-linear behaviour of the soil-pile system by
showing the decrement in resonant frequencies and dis-
proportional increment in resonant amplitudes with the
increase of eccentric moments.
5. Continuum approach
In the present study, the continuum approach is used for the
evaluation of the dynamic response of pile foundation in layered
soil media. This theoretical approach was proposed by Novak
and Aboul-Ella (1978a, 1978b) for the determination of stiffness
and damping of single pile. The stiffness and damping are
determined based on the assumption that the soil is perfectly
bonded to the pile and the soil behaviour is linear-elastic. This
method was extended by Novak and Mitwally (1990) to calculate
the complex stiffness of pile groups for different vibration modes
using dynamic interaction factors (Kaynia and Kausel 1982).
With the stiffness and damping of the pile group, the coupled
non-linear responses of the pile groups are calculated. Based on
6 S. S. CHOUDHARY ET AL.
Figure 7. Boundary zone soil model with linear shear modulus variation (Soil Model I).
Figure 8. Boundary zone soil model with parabolic shear modulus variation (Soil
Model II).
the continuum approach, two types of available soil models are
used in this study to determine the dynamic non-linear
responses of pile foundations.
● Soil Model I: In this theoretical approach (Novak and
Sheta 1980), the soil reactions are calculated under the
assumptions of plain strain, that is for an infinitely long
rigid cylinder undergoes an uniform motion. A linear
viscoelastic medium is considered in this model com-
posed of two parts: an outer infinite region and an inner
weak boundary zone around the pile with reduced soil
modulus and higher soil damping as compared to the
outer zone for the effective consideration of non-
linearity and slippage. The complex shear modulus var-
ies linearly within the boundary zone, shown in Figure
7, where shear moduli of inner and outer zones of soil-
pile model are represented by Gm and G; the cylindrical
cavity in the medium and radius of boundary zone are
represented by radius R and RO respectively.
● Soil Model II: Likewise the previous soil model, an
inner weak viscoelastic boundary zone around the pile
is considered in this soil model. However in this soil
model, a parabolic variation of shear modulus from
the outer pile surface to the outer boundary zone is
assumed to provide non-reflective interface between
outer infinite region and inner weaker zone (Han and
Sabin, 1995). The impedances of the composite med-
ium layer are based on the following conditions: (1)
the outer layer medium is homogeneous, isotropic and
frequency independent with viscoelastic material
damping; (2) the complex shear modulus G(r) varies
parabolically within the boundary zone, as represented
by the function f(r) as shown in Figure 8. Both the
function itself and its derivatives are continuous at the
boundary. So that at the interface, reflective wave
cannot be generated. This is known as non-reflection
interface. This type of soil model with continuum
approach is available as a computer software package
DYNA N (ENSOFT INC, 2004).
6. Prediction of boundary zone parameters
To predict the dynamic non-linear responses of piles, the
boundary zone parameters of the weakened soil zone like
modulus reduction factor (Gm/G), weak zone soil damping
(Dm), thickness ratio (tm/R) and most importantly separation
length (ls) are introduced in the continuum approach. The
boundary zone parameters of both the soil-pile models are
chosen for different eccentric moment based on the range of
boundary zone parameters reported in various literature (Han
and Novak 1988; Vaziri and Han 1992; Manna and Baidya
2010; Elkasabgy and EI Naggar 2013). For different eccentric
moments, the soil parameters of the weakened zone are
adjusted so that the non-linear analytical response curves
approaches close to the coupled vibration test results of pile
foundations. The variations of the boundary zone parameters
with depth for different eccentric moments considered in the
analysis are shown in Figure 9. The boundary zone para-
meters are considered same in all the soil models for both
single-pile and three-pile group.
It can be observed from the figure, that the shear modulus
ratio (Gm/G) values are increased with depth but the thickness
ratio (tm/R) and the weak zone soil damping (Dm) are
decreased with depth. It is also observed from the figure that
the shear modulus ratio (Gm/G) values are decreased and the
thickness ratio (tm/R) and the weak zone soil damping (Dm) are
increased as the eccentric moment increases. The shear mod-
ulus ratio values are considered very small up to the depth of
0.5 m from the ground surface. However, the thickness and
damping of the weak zone are considered significantly high up
to that depth. This is because of the anticipation that the effect
of coupled vibration is significantly higher in the upper layer
than the lower layers. In the case of Soil Model I, 50% of the
weak zone soil mass (Mass Participation Factor) is considered
to the pile for all eccentric moments. The separation between
the pile and soil is also introduced in the analysis. The separa-
tion between the pile and soil is accounted by using the Gm
/G ratio as zero in the top portion of soil. Different separation
lengths, that is, the depth of separation from ground level are
chosen for the different excitation intensities. The predicted
separation lengths are found as 1.49d (= 0.17 m) for W.
e = 0.868 Nm and 2.01d (= 0.23 m) for W.e = 1.944 Nm.
There are no specific guidelines/methods available in the
literature to estimate the actual value of boundary zone para-
meters and separation lengths for different levels of dynamic
forces and soil conditions neither by experimental study nor
by any analytical/numerical method. Therefore, more studies
are required to fix some guidelines/methods for determina-
tion of the boundary zone parameters under various intensi-
ties of dynamic loading.

Figure 9. Variation of boundary zone parameters for different eccentric moments with depth.
Figure 10. Comparison between test and analytical results of single pile for Soil Model I. (a) Horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.
7. Theory versus experiment
Theoretical frequency-amplitude response curves of piles
for coupled vibration are determined by two different soil-
pile models, that is Soil Model I and Soil Model II. The
analytical results obtained from different soil models are
compared with the coupled vibration field test results of
single-pile and three-pile groups. Comparison of fre-
quency-amplitude response of single-pile and three-pile
groups obtained from field tests and non-linear analysis
with Soil Model I are presented in Figures 10 and 11
respectively for static load of 12 kN. Similarly, compar-
ison between tests and non-linear analysis with Soil Model
II for single-pile and three-pile group are presented in
Figures 12 and 13 respectively. The comparison between
theoretical results using both the Soil Models with test
results of single-pile and three-pile group are summarized
in Tables 2 and 3 for static load (Ws) of 14 kN.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 7
From the figures, it is observed that the basic character-
istics of frequency-amplitude response of piles for both hor-
izontal and rocking component are found similar for single-
pile and three-pile group. It is found from the comparison
curves presented in Figures 10 and 11 that the predicted
resonant frequencies and amplitude values of single-pile and
three-pile group are reasonably matching with the test results
for both horizontal and rocking motion. It can be also seen
from the comparison plot shown in Figures 12 and 13 that the
predicted resonant amplitude values are quite higher than the
test results under both horizontal and rocking vibration.
However, the resonant frequency values for both the peaks
of single pile obtained from the analysis are found reasonably
close with the test results. In case of three-pile group, second
resonant frequency obtained from Soil Model II is found
much higher than the dynamic test results. Hence, it can be
concluded that the Soil Model I predicts the resonant fre-
quencies and amplitudes of single pile and pile group more
8 S. S. CHOUDHARY ET AL.

Figure 11. Comparison between test and analytical results of three-pile group for Soil Model I. (a) Horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.

Figure 12. Comparison between test and analytical results of single pile for Soil Model II. (a) Horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.

Figure 13. Comparison between test and analytical results of three-pile group for Soil Model II. (a) Horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.

accurately than the Soil Model II. It can be also noted from all rocking modes of vibration. The pattern of these response
the figures that the resonant frequencies are decreased with curves indicate the non-linear behaviour of the soil-pile sys-
the increase of eccentric moments and amplitudes are not tem for both single-pile and three-pile group under coupled
proportional with eccentric moments for both horizontal and vibration.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 9

Table 2. Coupled vibration tests and analytical results of single pile (Ws = 14 kN).
fn1* AH1** Ψr1*** fn2* AH2** Ψr2***
Eccentric Moment (Nm) (Hz) (mm) (Rad) (Hz) (mm) (Rad)
Field Test Results
0.868 5 0.26 0.00029 29 0.10 0.0010
1.269 5 0.43 0.00042 28 0.18 0.0018
1.631 4 0.52 0.00054 27 0.24 0.0027
1.944 4 0.62 0.00060 26 0.28 0.0033
Analytical Result with Soil Model I
0.868 4 0.3652 0.00054 27 0.1542 0.0015
1.269 4 0.5560 0.00061 26 0.2278 0.0023
1.631 4 0.6336 0.00065 25 0.2960 0.0032
1.944 3 0.7378 0.00071 24 0.3508 0.0040
Analytical Result with Soil Model II
0.868 5 1.7000 0.00200 31 0.8400 0.0037
1.269 5 2.0000 0.00222 30 1.1700 0.0046
1.631 5 2.0100 0.00230 29 1.5350 0.0053
1.944 4 2.3110 0.00235 28 1.6000 0.0060
* fn1, fn2 = first and second resonant frequencies
** AH1, AH2 = first and second resonant amplitudes for horizontal motion
*** ψr1, ψr2 = first and second resonant amplitudes for rocking motion

Table 3. Coupled vibration tests and analytical results of three-pile group (Ws = 14 kN).
fn1* AH1** Ψr1*** fn2* AH2** Ψr2***
Eccentric Moment (Nm) (Hz) (mm) (Rad) (Hz) (mm) (Rad)
Field Test Results
0.868 8 0.24 0.00014 - - -
1.269 7 0.36 0.00019 - - -
1.631 7 0.44 0.00024 45 0.16 0.0024
1.944 6 0.53 0.00029 42 0.26 0.0049
Analytical Results with Soil Model I
0.868 8 0.3455 0.00022 54 0.0950 0.0007
1.269 8 0.4539 0.00026 51 0.1358 0.0014
1.631 8 0.5498 0.00034 48 0.1931 0.0029
1.944 7 0.6629 0.00036 44 0.3153 0.0062
Analytical Results with Soil Model II
0.868 10 1.9600 0.00190 54 0.0006 0.0650
1.269 10 2.6500 0.00255 53 0.0009 0.0850
1.631 10 4.1050 0.00440 53 0.0011 0.0115
1.944 9 5.4000 0.00590 52 0.0014 0.0180
* fn1, fn2 = first and second resonant frequencies
** AH1, AH2 = first and second resonant amplitudes for horizontal motion
*** ψr1, ψr2 = first and second resonant amplitudes for rocking motion

It is also observed that the resonant frequency values of
tests and theoretical results of both the Soil Models for three-
pile group are found higher and resonant amplitude values
are found lower as compared to single pile which indicates
that the complex soil-pile stiffness of the pile group increases
as the number of pile increase. The resonant frequency values
(first and second peak) of single pile are found approximately
35–45% lower than the three-pile group. Both first
and second horizontal resonant amplitudes of single pile are
found approximately 7–15% higher than the three-pile group.
However in the case of rocking mode, the resonant amplitude
values of single pile for both peaks are found approximately
40–55% higher than the three-pile group.
It is observed from the tabular results that both resonant
frequencies and amplitudes are decreased with the increase of
static load under both horizontal and rocking modes of
vibration. It is found from the dynamic test results and
analytical results with Soil Model I of single pile that the
resonant amplitude values of both the peaks for static load
of 12 kN are approximately 10–25% higher than the resonant
amplitudes values of 14 kN static load for both horizontal and
rocking vibration. The first resonant frequency values are
found approximately same for both static loads. However in
the case of 12 kN static load, the second resonant frequency
values are found approximately 6–8% higher as compared to
14 kN static load. The resonant amplitudes of three-pile
group obtained from dynamic test results and analytical
results (Soil Model I) for 12 kN static load are found approxi-
mately 20–35% higher as compared to 14 kN static load
under both horizontal and rocking vibration. The variations
of resonant frequency with variation of static load are found
insignificant.
From the results, it can be understandable that the analysis
with Soil Model I is found to be more useful than the Soil
Model II for both single-pile and three-pile groups under
coupled vibration in present soil condition. However, more
detailed investigations are required in different pile group
configurations and different site conditions to make general
conclusions regarding the applicability and versatility of those
soil models.
10 S. S. CHOUDHARY ET AL.

Figure 14. Variation of stiffness and damping coefficient of three-pile group with frequency for different soil models: (a) horizontal response and (b) rocking
response.

8. Pile stiffness and damping both soil models. However, the variations of damping values
with excitation force are found very less for both horizontal
The impedance parameters (stiffness and damping) of the soil-
and rocking modes.
pile systems for horizontal and rocking modes are determined
It can be seen from Figure 14 that the stiffness values of
for Soil Model I (SM-I) and Soil Model II (SM-II). The varia-
the pile group are found higher for Soil Model II than the Soil
tion of stiffness and damping of three-pile group with fre-
Model I. However, the damping values are found lower for
quency for both the soil models are shown in Figure 14(a,b)
Soil Model II than Soil Model I for both horizontal and
for horizontal and rocking modes respectively.
rocking modes. As a result, both the resonant frequencies
From the figure, it is observed that the stiffness values
and amplitudes are found higher for Soil Model II than Soil
decrease with the increase of excitation force for both hor-
Model I as shown in Figure 10 to Figure 13. In case of Soil
izontal and rocking vibration modes for both soil models. The
Model II, the full mass and parabolic variations of shear
rates of change in stiffness values with eccentric moments are
modulus boundary are considered in boundary-zone model.
found to be more significant in the case of horizontal mode
This is the reason for obtaining higher stiffness and lower
than the rocking mode for both types of soil model. For
damping values for the Soil Model II than the Soil Model
example, the values of stiffness are reduced by approximately
I even if same values of the boundary zone parameters and
35% and 10% for horizontal and rocking mode respectively
soil-pile separation length are considered in the analysis.
for both soil models when the excitation intensity increases
from 0.868 Nm to 1.944 Nm. It is found that the damping of
soil-pile system increases rapidly as the frequency approaches
zero because of the conversion of the frequency-dependent 9. Group efficiency ratio (GER)
equivalent viscous damping to the soil material damping. It The effects of pile-soil-pile interaction behaviour on the
can be also seen that both horizontal and rocking damping dynamic stiffness and damping of three-pile group are
values are decreased with the increase in excitation force for observed by means of group efficiency ratio (GER) which is

Figure 15. Group efficiency ratio (GER) for stiffness and damping of three-pile group: (a) horizontal mode and (b) rocking mode.

a ratio of pile group stiffness (or damping) to the sum of all
the pile stiffness (or damping) in the group by considering the
piles as individual. The group efficiency ratio (GER) for these
impedance parameters of three-pile group are shown in Figure
15(a,b) for Soil Model I under horizontal and rocking modes
of vibration respectively.
It is observed that the GER for horizontal stiffness are less than
1, which implies that the stiffness of pile group is reduced by pile-
soil-pile interaction for horizontal motion. However, in the case of
GER for rocking stiffness are close to 1. It is also observed from the
curves, that the GER for stiffness and damping shows a significant
change of values in the range of second resonant frequency for
high eccentric intensity level for both horizontal and rocking
vibration modes.
10. Conclusions
In this study, the dynamic behaviour of a single-pile and
a three-pile group are investigated by conducting coupled
vibration test in the field. The field results are used to verify
the applicability of continuum approach with two different soil
models. The horizontal and rocking impedances of steel piles
are determined using two different soil models and the fre-
quency-amplitude responses for both horizontal and rocking
motions are compared with dynamic test results to check the
efficiency of both the soil models. The boundary zone para-
meters and soil-pile separation lengths are predicted using the
dynamic pile test results. Based on the test and analytical
results, the following major conclusions can be drawn:
● The frequency-amplitudes curves obtained from
coupled vibration tests show non-linearity as the reso-
nant frequencies decrease with the increase of excitation
force and also the amplitude values are not proportional
to the excitation force.
● In the case of three-pile group, the values of resonant fre-
quencies are found higher and resonant amplitude values
are found lower as compared to single pile because of the
higher stiffness of three-pile group than the single pile.
● The resonant frequencies and amplitudes decrease with the
increase in static load for both horizontal and rocking
motion.
● The accuracy of continuum approach analysis with different
soil models for the prediction of non-linear response of pile
foundations depend on the values of weak boundary zone
parameters like shear modulus reduction factor (Gm/G),
weak soil damping zone (Dm), thickness ratio (tm/R), and
separation length (ls). In this study, the predicted separation
lengths are found 1.49d (= 0.17 m) for W.e = 0.868 Nm and
2.01d (= 0.23 m) for W.e = 1.944 Nm under coupled vibra-
tion for present soil-pile conditions.
● The predicted response from Soil Model I by inclusion of
boundary zone are found close to the test results for both
horizontal and rocking motion of single-pile and three-pile
groups. However, in the case of Soil Model II with same
boundary zone, the predicted resonant amplitude values are
found higher as compared to the test results. These results
conclude that the Soil Model I is more efficient than Soil
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 11
Model II for the determination of non-linear response of the
pile foundations under coupled vibration.
● The stiffness and damping values decrease with increase
of excitation force for both horizontal and rocking
vibration modes due to the progress of boundary zone
and separation length with higher dynamic forces.
● The GER for horizontal stiffness of three-pile group system
are found less than 1, which implies that the pile group
stiffness is reduced by pile-soil-pile interaction.
Notes on contributors
Shiva Shankar Choudhary obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in
Geotechnical Engineering from Department of Civil Engineering, Indian
Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India. Since March, 2014, he
is working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Civil Engineering,
National Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar, India.
Sanjit Biswas is currently working as an Assistant Professor of
Department of Civil Engineering at National Institute of Technology
Sikkim, India. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree
from Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology
Delhi, India in 2018.
Bappaditya Manna is currently working as an Associate Professor of
Department of Civil Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology
Delhi, India. He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil
Engineering (2009), Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India.
References
Biswas, S., and B. Manna. 2018. “Experimental and Theoretical Studies on the
Nonlinear Characteristics of Soil-Pile Systems under Coupled Vibrations.”
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE 144 (3).
doi:10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001850.
Bowles, J. E. 1996. Foundation Analysis and Design. 5th ed. New York:
The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Casagrande, A. 1948. “Classification and Identification of Soils.”
Transactions, ASCE 113: 901–930.
El Sharnouby, B., and M. Novak. 1984. “Dynamic Experiments with Group of
Piles.” Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE 110 (6): 719–737.
Elkasabgy, M., and M. H. EI Naggar. 2013. “Dynamic Response of
Vertically Loaded Helical and Driven Steel Piles.” Canadian
Geotechnical Journal 50 (5): 521–535.
ENSOFT INC (2004), “DYNAN User’s Manual ” Version 2.
Han, Y., and G. C. W. Sabin. 1995. “Impedances of Radially
Inhomogeneous Viscoelastic Soil Media.” Journal of Engineering
Mechanics, ASCE. 121 (9): 939–947.
Han, Y., and M. Novak. 1988. “Dynamic Behavior of Single Piles under Strong
Harmonic Excitation.” Canadian Geotechnical Journal 25: 523–534.
Kaynia, A. M., and E. Kausel (1982), “Dynamic Behavior of Pile
Groups,” 2nd Int. Conf. on Numerical Methods in Offshore Piling,
Austin, Texas. 509–532.
Manna, B., and D. K. Baidya. 2010. “Dynamic Nonlinear Response of Pile
Foundations under Vertical vibration-Theory versus Experiment.” Soil
Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering 30: 456–469. Elsevier.
Nogami, T., and M. Novak. 1976. “Soil-Pile Interaction in Vertical
Vibration.” Journal of Earthquake Engineering and Structural
Dynamics 4 (3): 277–294.
Novak, M. 1974. “Dynamic Stiffness and Damping of Piles.” Canadian
Geotechnical Journal 11: 574–598.
Novak, M., and M. Sheta. 1980. “Approximate Approach to Contact
Problems Of Piles.” In Proc., Dyn. Response of Pile Foundations:
Analytical Aspects, ASCE, 53–79. New York, USA.
Novak, M., and B. El Sharnouby. 1983. “Stiffness Constants of Single Piles.”
Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE 109 (7): 961–974.
12 S. S. CHOUDHARY ET AL.
Novak, M., and F. Aboul-Ella. 1978a. “Impedance Functions for
Piles Embedded in Layered Medium.” Journal of Engineering
Mechanics, ASCE. 104 (3): 643–661.
Novak, M., and F. Aboul-Ella. 1978b. “Stiffness and Damping of Piles in
Layered Media.” In Proc., Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics,
ASCE Specialty Conf., 704–719. Pasadena, California.
Novak, M., and H. Mitwally. 1990. “Random Response of Offshore
Towers with Pile-Soil-Pile Interaction.” Journal of Offshore
Mechanics and Arctic Engineering 112 (1): 35–41.
Novak, M., and R. F. Grigg. 1976. “Dynamic Experiments with Small Pile
Foundations.” Canadian Geotechnical Journal 13: 372–385.
Saitoh, M., L. A. Padron, J. J. Aznarez, O. Maeso, and C. S. Goit. 2016.
“Expanded Superposition Method for Impedance Functions of
Inclined-Pile Groups.” International Journal for Numerical and
Analytical Methods in Geomechanics 40: 185–206.
Vaziri, H., and Y. Han. 1992. “Nonlinear Vibration of Pile Groups under
Lateral Loading.” Canadian Geotechnical Journal 29: 702–710.